At fifteen years old, a streetwise Italian-American from Chicago's West Side named Anthony Mazzenga got a job at the Chicago Tribune as a copy boy. While running copy between reporters and photographers and their respective news desks, Mazzenga began to discover something very important about himself: he had both an affinity and a talent for the "visual word"- photography.

It didn't take long before he was asked to join the Tribune's photo staff. But it came with a price. He had to give up his first name. "We have too many Tony's around here" the chief of photographers asked him, "What's your middle name?"

Mazzenga's middle name was Val and that's how this indefatigable Chicago photojournalist has been known ever since.

Val Mazzenga's career is one of the most storied in American photojournalism. His photographs have won more than 200 awards including 5 Beck Awards- the Chicago Tribune's highest accolade. He may be the most honored photographer in Tribune history. He has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize six times and was inducted into the International Press Corps Hall of Fame in June of 2008.

One of his nominations was for his work on The Jonestown Massacre.

Val has covered major breaking stories on just about every continent on the planet. His work has been exhibited nationwide, including an exhibit at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Among his assignments; the Afghan resistance fighters in Pakistan; slaughter of the seals in Newfoundland, starvation in Africa; the Sikh revolt in India; the 20th Anniversary of the fall of Saigon; the killing fields in Cambodia and refugee camps in Southeast Asia. He spent three months on assignment crisscrossing South America in 1978 with two Chicago Tribune reporters – the Tribune published a book titled "South America '78" from the stories they compiled.

He has done prize winning photo essays on the late Mother Teresa, the late President Nixon in Airforce One and numerous celebrities. He has photographed the Wonders of the World - Machu Pichu the Lost City of the Incas, the Taj Mahjal, Angkor Wat, the Great Wall of China, Carnival in Rio, and life along Bangkok's Klong waterways. He covered the Russian Invasion of Afghanistan and Ground Zero.

Val's photographs have been featured in many books and publications.

He was the chief photographer for the Marine Corps newspaper flight jacket during his service in the United States Marine Corps.

He was an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois, School of Journalism and after retiring from the Chicago Tribune he became a keynote Speaker. He spoke at universities and corporations throughout the country with his riveting multimedia presentation entitled "The Untold Story"…

Val passed at home in the loving arms of his wife Shelly holding the hand of his beloved son Joseph. They were surrounded by friends and family a cloud of witnesses.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, December 9, at 7:00 p.m. at the Compass Church in Wheaton, 520 E. Roosevelt Rd., Wheaton. Friends may visit with the family prior to the service from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. at the church.

Memorials may be directed to the Salvation Army .

Family and friends may sign a guest book at hultgrenfh.com . For more information, please call Hultgren Funeral Home at 630-668-0027.